State Data Show Gains in Reading

Washington

Schools taking part in the federal Reading First program are showing significant progress in boosting students’ reading fluency and comprehension, according to state-reported data compiled by the U.S. Department of Education and released last week.

In releasing for the first time detailed, multiyear data on how Reading First schools are performing on key measures, federal officials hailed the results as solid evidence that the $1 billion-a-year initiative is working.

“We are very pleased with the outcomes we’ve seen from this data,” said Amanda Farris, a deputy assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education in the department. “This shows tremendous gains for our neediest students...